A Short Guide To Planning Your Decking Area

A decking area can be an enjoyable and practical addition to your garden, whether it is small or large. It can enhance your garden visually and it can be very practical for family gatherings and garden parties.

In order to plan your decking area it’s important to establish your intention with it. This will help you decide on the size of the area, which materials to use, where to place it, and what decorations you can put on it.

Will it be primarily an area for family gatherings? If so, you might need to consider child proofing options such as balustrades and steps, and you might need a larger size decking to fit your family and other guests. Or perhaps you’d like your decking area to primarily be a viewing platform to enjoy warm summer evenings gazing at the rest of your garden. Perhaps you have a variety of plants and flowers, and maybe even wildlife that you can view from your decking. Regardless of your intention, the decking will be a welcome extension of your living space.

The size of the decking area is entirely up to you and the capacity of your garden. Some people have even decked their whole garden to make garden maintenance easier, or another idea is to create a decking area at a spot in your garden that you don’t particularly care for. Once you’ve established the size you can think about the different types of wood you can choose from.

There are many types of wood you can choose for your decking, but some are more durable than others. Timber which is treated will last much longer and new technologies such as MicroPro and MicroShade give even longer lasting visual and structural characteristics, whilst hardwood is naturally harder wearing, but is more expensive. Consider what colour stains and paints should be and how the wood type will age so you can choose the wood that would look perfect in your garden.

Once your decking is in place it is time to think about how you’d like to decorate it. Consider whether you are going to have any permanent furniture on it before planning the smaller elements you can add, such as plants and ornaments. Remember that any permanent plant pots or furniture should to be easy to care for in bad weather, or should be easy to move between the storage area and the decking.

Hope you find my posts helpful, look forward to reading your comments!